The top free-to-play (f2p) MMORPG games of 2013 are coming soon! From old, established titles to new releases, here is an overview of the best upcoming games that are being developed right now. It might seem rather premature to talk about this topic but MMO players are a very passionate bunch who are always thirsty for news.

The information here was taken from official press releases and gaming websites. Some of the news here are rumors and speculation. All of the sources of information are properly cited and linked but please note that since these games are still under development the details of the unreleased titles might change. In other words, we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy.

Upcoming Free MMORPG 2013 List

Not much is known about this upcoming free-to-play MMORPG from Korean developer and publisher Neowiz. According to their official press release, BLESS is a large-scale MMORPG that has been in development since 2009.

Set in the usual medieval fantasy virtual world that is popular in the MMO genre, BLESS will have 10 different races that are divided into two opposing realms – Hierapolis and Cosmopolis. The producers of BLESS have promised “a tremendous amount of player freedom” and spectacular graphics, including “detailed animations that capture each facial expression and even the miniscule movement of a finger.” No release date or official website is available at this time.

Developer: Korean developer EyasoftRelease date: to be announcedOfficial website link: no English version

A new anime-themed hack and slash MMO game, Dungeon Hero, is being developed by Korean gaming company Eyasoft. This PvP-focused title is expected to enter beta testing later this year. Most of the gameplay will take place in dungeons although players will also be able to accept quests, trade and learn skills in the towns.

Along with Ultima Online, Everquest (EQ) is one of the first popular mainstream MMORPGs. The newest iteration of the game is EverQuest Next which is due out in 2013.

Storywise, it will not be a sequel or prequel to the orginal EQ or EQII. Instead, it will take place in a parallel world which is similar but not exactly the same as the Norrath of the original EQ. According to SOE Executive Producer Dave “SmokeJumper” Georgeson, one of the most wanted features EverQuest Next will have is “the ability to design your own dungeon.” These player-created dungeons can be publish to friends or to the public. If a dungeon is made public then everyone can play through it and rate it.

The newest in the Lineage MMORPG franchise, Lineage Eternal: Twilight Resistance has no official release date but beta testing is expected to be started some time in 2012. It is reportedly a type of Diablo clone MMO with “quarter view type full 3D graphics like Diablo3 from Blizzard Entertainment.” It will have large-scale multiplayer siege warfare which the Lineage series is famous for.

No real details have been given except for the revolutionary new “drag and hold” feature in which actions can be done through mouse movements. For example, players can cast a fire spell and then drag it around in a circle to damage all the nearby enemies. This is intended to make combat and skills more exciting and fun.

Developer: Neowiz Games / Epic Games KoreaRelease date: to be announcedOfficial website link: Goblinworks website, signups for email updates available

Although there has not been a very strong buzz about this game on mainstream websites or forums, Pathfinder Online is the type of upcoming MMORPG game that people are closely watching because it is reportedly a hybrid sandbox/theme park-style MMO. This title is planned to be a hybrid subscription/free-to-play model in which players can either pay a monthly membership fee or play for free with the option of buying additional content and features (piece by piece, using microtransactions) as they play.

Pathfinder Online’s sandbox features include a robust player-controlled trading system, player-crafted items, dynamic fortifications, and character-controlled settlements that can grow into enormous kingdoms. The official website claims that as these settlements grow, the surrounding wilderness areas will change with it and develop complex features such as “randomly generated encounters and resources as well as exciting scripted adventures.”

Survarium is an upcoming f2p massively multiplayer online first-person shooter (MMOFPS) game set in a post-apocalyptic Earth. The game is being developed by the Vostok Games, a Ukrainian company.

“Survarium will offer players an atmospheric world of civilization crash, filled with factions and loners, stalkers and hunters surviving in a wild anomalous environment,” said Aleksey Sytianov, Lead Game Designer of the project. It is scheduled for release on at the end of 2013.

Impassable woods advance onto cities from every side, maddened animals and birds attack industrial complexes, military structures, warehouses and power plants. Strange plants and mushrooms grow through concrete and steel. Scientists all over the world haplessly try to cope with the anomaly sprawling across the Earth with terrifying speed. Countries collapse, anarchy spreads throughout the world. Now force dictates who to survive.

Here’s another sandbox game that MMO watchers have been following closely. The Repopulation is reportedly a survival futuristic science fiction MMORPG. It will have no classes or levels. Players will take on the role of a second generation clone whose goal is to colonize the planet Rhyldan. Two main factions exist that each have their own ideas about the best way to preserve the human race. There are also some smaller rogue factions separate from the two main ones.

Fans of crafting might want to take a look at this game as the devs are making it an integral part of the gameplay. The in depth crafting system allows players to harvest a resource node or loot useful items from creatures. If the player has a recipe for an item then they can create an item. Of course, the more players make a certain recipe the better his or her chances getting a good quality product. The best items in the game are those that are crafted, not looted.

In addition, there will be areas in the game world that are open to building a city run by a player-controlled nation. These and other sandbox features have made MMO fans very excited about this upcoming launch.

Currently the developers are looking into a free-to-play business model but no final decision or announcement regarding monetization has been made yet.

The development team at Carbine Studios have reportedly been working on this game for over four years. The dev team is apparently made of ex-World of Warcraft staff. Although the graphics are very cartoony and stylized, according to Carbine the game is actually quite hardcore. It is set in the world of Nexus with elements of both magic and technology.

It’s unique gameplay is meant to go beyond mere classes and races. To quote from an interview:

You can explore, conquer, collect or build. Explorers carry a locator which points out apparently inaccessible items and locations in the world, while conquerors are soldiers, born to fight, level and push for glory. Collectors are scientists, constantly seeking the truth of the Eldan disappearance, while builders aim for social quests and social rewards.

Each play style is specifically rewarded with the mechanics available to it, with loot, XP, tech, or simply access to beautiful areas.

An ambitious project to create an educational/learning MMORPG, Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond is being developed using National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Learning Technologies. Pre-development started in 2009 and the team is said to be planning to release a playable beta version in December 2012 and possibly a full product version closer to 2013.

The idea behind this title is that players will pick a profession like roboticist, astrobiologist, space geologist, pilot or mechanical engineer and then work together to explore outer space and complete missions. Real science, technology, engineering,
mathematics and physics content will be included since this is an educational game.

Good list, looks like there will be quite a few new MMORPGs. I hope one of them will be better than both World of Warcraft and Rift. Been playing those two for ages and I am looking for something that’s free but good.

Sorry, but Vindictus might be free to play, but it is most definitely pay to win. The idea that you can destroy an item that took you months to craft WHILE TRYING TO UPGRADE IT.

I will say it is an incredibly fun game when you aren’t having your combos lag cancelled or mysteriously morphed into some other combo. Or having your dodge, the invulnerable frames to be specific, completely ignored by the raid boss. If you don’t have a top of the line computer and a super fast connection then forget about Vindictus.

i think BLESS would be a bit similar to WoW and dungeon heroes is just 1 of those remakes of WoW with less features and more of the same, i think bless would be awesome but does any1 knows when exactly its going online?